OK, so who wants to follow Nick Saban?
As Alabama’s search for its next head football coach unfolds, the bet here is that Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne may place a call to Clemson coach Dabo Swinney sooner than later.
One would assume that Swinney, a former player and assistant coach at Alabama, would be on his short list, albeit perhaps not at the top.
If the job were offered Swinney, I would expect quite an internal struggle to ensue. Swinney, after all, is firmly entrenched at Clemson. He been a coach there for 21 years, the first five as an assistant; his three sons grew up here, and he’s beloved by the vast majority of Clemson’s avid and supportive fan base.
Here are three reasons Swinney would be a viable candidate to replace Saban, followed by a couple of reasons why he might not be:
Dabo Swinney is a dyed-in-the-wood Alabaman
Swinney was born and raised in Pelham, Alabama, and grew up rooting for the Crimson Tide and idolizing legendary coach Paul “Bear” Bryant, attending Alabama games whenever possible. He joined the team as a walk-on and eventually was awarded a scholarship by Coach Gene Stallings.
A member of Alabama’s 1992 national championship team, Swinney served as an assistant coach on the Crimson Tide staff for eight seasons.
Clemson coach boasts an outstanding résumé
The winningest coach in program history, Swinney has guided the Tigers to a 170-43 record in 16-plus seasons, including a 9-4 record last season that culminated with a five-game winning streak and a victory against Kentucky in the Gator Bowl on Dec. 29.
Swinney became Clemson’s all-time winningest coach on Nov. 4, passing College Football Hall of Famer Frank Howard with a 31-23 victory against Notre Dame. Swinney has led the Tigers to eight ACC titles and two national championships, including a 44-16 victory against Saban…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/3-reasons-clemson-footballs-dabo-222702172.html
Author : Greenville News
Publish date : 2024-01-11 22:27:02
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